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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · row · pop · net · bulb · leaves · charge · lean

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. charge — electricity
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lean — thin
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. lean — to bend
  11. net — after costs
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. net — in sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pop — to visit
  20. charge — a price
  21. pop — music
  22. charge — in control
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pop — soda

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com